Saturday 28 June 2025 - Leaving Loch Duich and Fort William parkrun

On this final posting from Loch Duich, here's an index of the week's postings. If other members of the party send me any further diaries or pictures, I'll append those to this record.

Saturday 21 June 2025 A few 5km runs

Sunday 22 June 2025 - Beinn Mhialairigh

Monday 23 June 2025 - Beinn a'Chaoinich

Tuesday 24 June 2025 - Glas Bheinn

Wednesday 25 June 2025 - Meall Sguman

Thursday 26 June 2025 - Beinn a'Mheadhoin

Friday 27 June 2025 - Totaig, and a broch

Lochside House was possibly the best equipped holiday cottage we have ever stayed in. It's brilliant for up to eight people and with the wide range of walking options nearby it's a place that is certainly suitable for a return visit. Well done to Julie for finding this gem of a place.

Before leaving, I took a few photos of the living areas.

Sue and I left before the others rose, but they did eventually get away and Tom took this picture of David, Roger, Julie and Mike. Sadly the picture provides no clue as to the location of Tom's missing dirty washing bag.

Sue and I reached the mountain resort near Fort William in plenty of time for a completely midge free parkrun. (Midges have not been an issue on this trip, other than outside the house in the evenings.)

It's a slow, slightly hilly, course. Neither of us overdid it and I walked up some of the steeper sections. Very enjoyable though, and we savoured a chat with the locals afterwards. Sue finished in 27:07, position 19 out of 66 finishers, and I took a leisurely 36:45 in position 47. Full results are here.

Milling around before the start

Ready, steady, go!

It's an inverted lollipop sort of route. I was soon meeting folk who were returning from the end of the lollipop stick.

Turnaround point

Once back to the meat of the lollipop, there were good views from the narrow path, which seemed to me to be mostly uphill.

Back at the car park (this parkrun doesn't get any discounts from the £6 parking fee) an eagle sculpture greets the coach loads of tourists who arrive for a ride in the gondola.

We enjoyed a post run coffee from our flask (thus saving more than the cost of the car park) and admired the tow bar bike rack on my car, used for the first time on this trip. It seems to work well.

After our 400 mile journey we were back in Timperley, unloaded, and enjoying  a baked potato and tuna mayo and salad supper by 6:30 after an uneventful journey.

By Sunday morning I was enjoying a slightly quicker (31:38) 5km community run, despite tired legs from the week's tussock bashing with Julie. Sue had it easy on the Munro walks!

I even managed to finish a little ahead of legendary runner, Fechin.